Florida Nightly Rentals for Future Retirement Living

[James Abraham]

I've been interested in getting into the Florida vacation rental business for some time now. Not as a full-time career, but in order to own a home for when I retire (which would be within 20 years from now) and to have a place to vacation a couple times a year. So cash flow isn't as important as breaking even. Although some amount of cash flow would be obviously be ideal. But it's possible that I could decide to build a small portfolio of properties if my first one pans out well.

I'm interested in markets near beaches in the costal central to south-central regions of Florida where tenants can also be within a reasonable drive from Disney. I'm interested in Class A or B properties. Condos are an option but ideally it would be a single-family home. I have a few questions and it would be great to hear some feedback from those of you who have experience with this.



1. What communities / cities / towns are short-term, nightly rental friendly? I understand lots of communities in Florida have strict guidelines regarding rental property.

2. Is it better to buy a property with cash or is financing usually the better option nightlies?

3. In terms of number of bedrooms, is there a "sweet spot" for nightlies that I should consider?

4. What are some good resources for the market I'm interested in, such as websites, blogs, or realtors?


Thanks so much!